The history and development of research on Esperanto, a language created for universal communication, are reviewed. Discussion begins with the early context and intellectual tradition of efforts to create a universal language and proceeds to the creation of an Esperanto community and the context in which it operates currently. Expansion of the field is chronicled, focusing on two factors: growing academic respectability and interest in Esperanto as a means or a model for machine translation. Growth in the creation of basic Esperanto tools is also examined. Distribution of interest throughout the world is noted. It is concluded that ignorance of the scope and possibilities of Esperanto has hindered progress of the Esperanto movement. Contains seven pages of references. (MSE)